I met him at the award-winning SIPS in Barcelona, where we talked about the philosophy behind SIPS and Esencia, the value of hospitality, the delicate balance between complexity and simplicity, and the challenge of reviving legendary bars like Boadas.
By Denny Kallivoka
Simone Caporale is not only a world-class bartender, entrepreneur, visionary, and trendsetter — he is also one of the few who truly elevate the concept of hospitality to a whole new level.
We met on a quiet Wednesday morning at SIPS, after spending two days together tasting the menus at SIPS, Esencia and Boadas. His business partner Marc Alvarez was away traveling on the day of the interview, but over the previous days, both of them had warmly welcomed me into their world, generously introducing me to the concept and experience behind their remarkable venture.
By the way just a few weeks ago, Simone’s new bar, Montana, opened in Hong Kong — and all eyes are already on it.
SIPS: A Bar You Simply Can’t Miss
SIPS, ranked No.1 and No.3 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, is located in a stylish neighborhood in central Barcelona. It’s the brainchild of Simone Caporale and Marc Alvarez — a cozy, atmospheric bar with around ten tables and a few high stools at the bar.
At the heart of the space sits a custom-designed bar station, around which the bartenders operate in seamless motion. The ambiance is calm, the music curated, and the service — as expected from a Caporale project — impeccable. Creativity is everywhere you look, and taste.
Reservations are made through the website, where you prepay for two cocktails, which you then choose upon arrival. A simple, elegant way to begin the experience.
Esencia: A Ritual of Discovery
If you’re someone who loves exploration and experimentation, Esencia is an absolute must. It’s part of SIPS, but with its own hidden identity — a bar within the bar.
After booking online, you choose between a 10- or 15-cocktail tasting experience, known as “Sips.” Upon entering SIPS, you walk through the main bar and pass behind a series of surreal curtains that gradually disorient your sense of space.
Suddenly, you find yourself in a futuristic — almost otherworldly — setting, featuring two intimate bars with eight seats each. The lighting, sound design, and music are all meticulously crafted to immerse you in a journey of the unknown.
Esencia is open Tuesday through Saturday, and reservations are essential.
(No spoilers here — surprise is a key ingredient of the experience.)
Denny Kallivoka: These days, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of creating something that looks impressive, but lacks substance — something beautiful on the outside, yet disconnected from everything else.
Simone Caporale: Absolutely. That’s why, at both SIPS and Sips Esencia, we’ve made it a priority to avoid any sense of disconnect. Everything is intentionally designed — from the music selection to the lighting and the layout of the space. Every element serves a purpose and contributes to the overall experience.
Q: You said whatever you do can be holistic. What do you mean by that?
A: Everybody either has, or should have, a holistic approach — and it’s not difficult to do. You just need to adapt to where you are in the space. Is this holistic? I think so.
There’s a specific type of music, the lighting is considered. Of course, it looks like four walls here, fair enough. But over there [at Essencia], the curtains make it difficult to even measure the space, and that’s intentional. We wanted to take care of all the details. Nowadays, it’s very easy to create something gimmicky: it looks nice, but there’s no interconnection with the rest. Our priority was to avoid that. We wanted people to never feel something was missing, never feel a lack of connection.
Q: Do you think consumers are ready for such an experience? What kind of reactions have you seen?
A: Consumers are ready — or more than ready. I’d say 90% of the guests who come are not only prepared, they’re excited to explore something new. “Ready” usually means you know what you’ll find, and here no one knows what’s going to happen. But they arrive curious and leave even more excited than when they came.
Of course, you need a little passion for this. My father, for example, would never enjoy Essencia — he doesn’t care about taste or drinking experience. But he would love to be here and have a two-step martini. So, it depends. But overall, the crowd is interested, and our reputation helps as well.
Q: Yesterday you mentioned a comment from a guest that meant a lot to you. Can you share it?
A: Yes. Someone once told me: “You’re doing something very complicated, but you deliver it in a way that feels very light.” That really stayed with me. It means we’re turning complex things into something people can enjoy easily.
Q: So, simplicity or complexity?
A: For me, it’s all about how you make people feel, and how you communicate. Something can be technically complex, but if you make it effortless for the guest, then it’s simple. We believe in complexity — but we deliver it in a fun, understandable, pleasurable, effortless way.
Q: Why are you doing Essencia? To pioneer? To express creativity?
A: Expression, for sure. It’s a small space, but that gives you the freedom to really say something through the drinking experience. If you were a painter, you’d use paint. Here, I use cocktails.
Essencia is also a way to experiment, to collect data, and then reapply it in more prêt-à-porter spaces — for consultancy, or for creating new combinations of flavors. Most of the sips we serve can be translated into full-size cocktails, perfumes, or aroma combinations.
Q: Do you actually collect data from your guests?
A: Yes. We have data through the booking platform, but also in the recipes — everything is documented and now stored in the cloud. No more paper.
τρισδιάστατο ¨μενού” του Esencia
Q: Do you think the drinks industry has reached its limits of innovation?
A: No, I don’t think so. But I do think it’s a bit saturated, because too many people just replicate what others do. Everyone asks, “What’s the next trend?” But a trend means you’re following something someone else started. If you follow, you’ll never be first — you’ll always be behind.
So no, there are no limits. But we limit ourselves when we keep asking about the next trend instead of creating it.
Q: How do you see the balance between creativity and hospitality?
A: Creativity is super important, yes — but without hospitality, it’s zero. That’s why now I’m always on the floor. At Sips or Essencia, I’ve only worked behind the bar three times in two and a half years. The technical work, the creativity, the preparation — all good. But once the drink goes to the table, that’s pure hospitality and service.
Q: And how do you train the younger generation in hospitality?
A: First, they need to learn how to feel. Some people are naturally more sensitive, others less so — but if you find the right ones, and they truly enjoy it, they will give their best. My role is to be next to them.
Very often I say, “Come with me to the table, I’ll talk, you listen.” Next time, they do it themselves, with their own style. For example, Nicole — she’s our floor and reservations manager. She knows her role very well, but I’ll still say, “Niki, come with me, listen.” Then she repeats it her way.
That’s why it’s beautiful to work with them. I feel younger, and they feel that no matter what, someone is always there, guiding them through the learning process.
Q: What’s it like to be top in “50 Best”? I asked you two days ago — many people come just to tick the list. They have a drink at Sips, take their photo, and go. How do you feel about that?
A: Look, every guest is good for a bar. But when the guest is truly curious, then they add another kind of value. Sips started very small, with people coming genuinely to try. Now, of course, there’s a queue: most guests really want to experience it, but some just want to tick the box, as they say.
It’s like bringing H&M consumers into a luxury boutique. They might not recognize the quality of the fabric or the cut, so they can’t fully appreciate it. That’s when hospitality comes into play — to give them the option to explore, to stimulate their curiosity. If someone only wants a photo, fine, let them take it. But I’ll always make sure to provide something meaningful, so that those who do recognize it can truly appreciate it.
ΤQ: You’ve said your heart is in Boadas, while your mind is in Sips and Essencia. Tell me more about Boadas.
A: Boadas is a place I fell in love with. Owning such a historic bar makes me very happy, but it’s also a huge responsibility. For me, it’s harder to bring an institutional bar back to shine than to open a new bar from zero.
This past year and a half, Boadas has been a bigger challenge than Sips. You don’t need to invent new cocktails there — you just need to respect the classics. Make them more delicious, fresher, technically better. But showing people that a classic, institutional place is back in splendor — that’s tough.
It’s like building a new Lamborghini versus restoring a 60-year-old car to make it shiny, beautiful, and competitive. Much harder. And to do that, you can only decide with the heart. Respect the years, the history, the essence — and use the past wisely to tell a beautiful story. Unfortunately, many things weren’t documented back then, and the previous owners didn’t see the importance. But we’re doing it now.
Q: How do you deal with consistency — in drinks?
A: Beautiful question. Consistency only comes from teamwork. A tidy, organized system. Quality control, every day.
At Essencia, for example, we test the batches daily before service. As for drinks made on the spot — yes, we have recipes and specs. Sometimes we pre-blend the alcoholic base. At Boadas, for instance, in the daiquiri the rum and sugar are already mixed, so the bartender only adds fresh lime. That’s consistency.
Q: You said something before about how guests experience Boadas differently.
A: Yes, someone told me: “Before, when I came to Barcelona, I felt I had to go to Boadas. Now, I come because I want to go to Boadas.” That sentence is worth gold to me. There’s a big difference between obligation and genuine desire.
Q: Last night you showed me Elena preparing the ice — layer by layer, all by hand.
A: Yes, amazing, isn’t it? That ice takes at least 24 hours of labor for a four-to-five-minute experience. But that’s the point: effort behind the scenes, simplicity in front of the guest.
Q: And that brings me to my final question. Many guests go to a bar for a nice drink, good music, atmosphere, and service. Your drinks require a lot of work behind the scenes, but in the bar everything feels effortless.
A: Exactly. At Sips, the feeling is relaxed. The first thing I want guests to experience is a warm welcome. To feel special, to have a good time, and to enjoy something unique — but always with a light approach.It’s like what they used to say at elBulli: in the kitchen there were 70 people working silently, under huge pressure, but in the restaurant everything was calm, relaxed, welcoming. That’s the same philosophy here. Guests shouldn’t feel the pressure, the heat, the timing. Everything must stop at the table — and become pure enjoyment.
Q: Thank you very much, Simone.
A: My pleasure. If you need anything else, just text me.
